VtXt 


The  Church  in  the 
Community 


Definitions  ofi  Christian 


ALFRED  WILLIAMS  ANTHONY 


EXECUTIVE  SECRETARY  OF  HOME 
MISSIONS  COUNCIL 


SECOND  EDITION 


156  Fifth  Ave. 
NEW  YORK  CITY 
1919 


Co-operation 


BY 


PEEFACE 


This  little  pamphlet  is  essentially  a reprint, 
somewhat  recast  and  with  additions,  of  a little 
pamphlet  published  in  1916,  entitled  ‘ ‘ Inner 
and  Outer  Circles  of  Co-operation.” 

The  author  has  been  identified  with  move- 
ments relating  to  co-operation  and  federation 
for  more  than  twenty-five  years,  first  in  the 
State  of  Maine,  connected  with  the  Interde- 
nominational Commission  of  Maine,  the  oldest 
state  federation  in  the  country,  and  then  with 
the  movements  which  have  culminated  in  the 
Federal  Council  of  the  Churches  of  Christ  in 
America,  and  kindred  organizations.  He  was 
the  first  Chairman  of  the  Commission  on  State 
and  Local  Federations  of  the  Federal  Council, 
and  portions  of  this  pamphlet  were  embodied 
in  a report  made  by  that  Commission  to  the 
Executive  Committee  of  the  Federal  Council 
of  Churches  at  its  meeting  in  Columbus,  Ohio, 
December  8-10,  1915.  Several  thousand  copies 
of  the  little  pamphlet  have  been  distributed 
under  its  former  title.  It  is  available  now 
gratuitously  to  all  who  will  be  helped  by  it, 
and  will  apply  to  the  writer. 

ALFEED  WILLIAMS  ANTHONY 

156  Fifth  Avenue, 

New  York  City 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/churchincommunitOOanth 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  COMMUNITY 
OR  THE  KINGDOM  OF  CHRIST 
ORGANIZED  WITH  REFERENCE  TO 
GEOGRAPHICAL  AREAS 


New  Testament  Churches 

New  Testament  churches  appear  to  have  been 
geographical.  The  church  at  Corinth,  for  ex- 
ample, was  a Community  Church.  There  may 
have  been  separate  congregations  meeting  in 
the  house  of  Stephanas,  or  in  the  house 
of  Gaius,  or  in  the  house  of  Phebe,  or  pos- 
sibly in  the  house  of  Erastus,  “the  chamber- 
lain  of  the  city.”  It  is  possible  that  when 
some  said,  “I  am  of  Paul;  and  I of  Apollos; 
and  I of  Cephas;  and  I of  Christ,”  they  wor- 
shipped in  separate  congregations;  but  it  is 
evident  that  in  Paul’s  mind,  however  much 
the  disciples  may  have  been  divided,  either 
because  of  convenience,  or  by  reason  of  fac- 
tions, they  all  constituted  one  church,  the  Com- 
munity Church  of  Corinth;  they  constituted  the 
Church  for  a definite  geographical  area;  for 
Paul  writes  his  first  epistle  “unto  the  church 
of  God  which  is  at  Corinth,  to  them  that  are 
sanctified  in  Christ  Jesus,  called  to  be  saints, 
with  all  that  in  every  place  call  upon  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  both  their ’s  and 
our ’s ; ” and  in  his  second  epistle  takes  even 
a wider  geographical  range,  writing  ‘ ‘ unto  the 
church  of  God  which  is  at  Corinth,  with  all 
the  saints  which  are  in  all  Achaia.  ’ ’ 

In  like  manner  the  church  at  Thessalonica, 
the  church  at  Colosse,  the  church  at  Laodicea, 
and  the  church  at  Rome,  appear  to  include  all 
of  the  Christians  within  these  municipalities. 


5 


Lineal  Development 

Because  of  the  development  of  Christian  de- 
nominations, the  consciousness  of  Christian  fel- 
lowship, now  manifest  in  cities  and  towns,  is 
generally  what  may  be  called  lineal,  rather 
than  lateral.  Most  Christians,  under  the  im- 
pulses of  denominational  nurture  and  growth, 
look  backward,  in  terms  of  fellowship,  unto  a 
John  Wesley,  or  a Robert  Browne,  or  a Roger 
Williams,  or  an  Alexander  Campbell,  or  an 
Emanuel  Swedenborg,  or  an  Ulrich  Zwingli, 
or  a John  Calvin,  or  a Martin  Luther, — or  back 
to  the  Apostles,  Peter  preeminently,  or  to  them 
all,  in  ‘ ‘ apostolic  succession.  ’ ’ This  conscious- 
ness of  fellowship  has  tended  to  cut  channels 
between  rigid  barriers,  restricting  the  expres- 
sion of  fellowship  to  limited  lines,  through  the 
present  unto  the  future.  The  primitive  church 
appears  to  have  had  no  such  restrictions.  It 
certainlv  had  no  such  inheritances  from  the 
past.  Its  fellowship  was  lateral,  including  all 
who  “bore  the  Name,”  or  were  “of  the  Way,” 
within  any  area.  This  sense  of  lateral  fellow- 
ship is  being  recovered.  It  is  the  genius  of 
the  present  movement  toward  federation. 

Lateral  Development 

The  Federal  Council  is  an  expression  of  an 
attempt  to  recover  fellowship  laterally  in  the 
domain  of  the  nation.  The  Commissions  of 
the  Federal  Council,  notably  those  on  The 
Church  and  Social  Service,  on  Federated  Move- 
ments, and  on  the  Church  and  Rural  Life,  are 
all  engaged  either  in  the  more  adequate  ex- 
pression of  these  lateral  fellowships,  or  in  the 
active  promotion  of  combination  and  coopera- 
tion between  Christians,  geographically  and  lo- 
cally approximated. 

A striking  feature  of  the  literary  output  of 
the  last  score  of  years  has  been  the  discussion 
of  unity,  not  within  denominational  lines,  but 
out.side  of,  aTid  inclusive  of,  denominations. 
A sense  of  brotherhood  has  taken  hold  of  the 
Christian  church.  This  is  an  outstanding 
characteristic  of  the  day,  and  must  be  reck- 


6 


oned  with.  No  Christian,  no  church,  no  de- 
nomination can  hold  itself  aloof  from  other 
Christians,  other  churches,  and  other  denomi- 
nations, in  the  old  spirit  of  sectarianism. 
None  are  sole  receptacles  of  the  divine  gifts; 
no  one  is  the  single  agency  through  which  the 
spirit  works;  all  are  required,  for  the  recogni- 
tion and  the  proclamation  of  the  “many-col- 
ored ’ ’ Gospel.  This  consciousness  has  been 
emphasized  by  the  world  war. 

The  Two-Fold  Problem,  Lineal  and  Lateral 

The  problem  before  Christians  to-day  is 
double — (1)  How  to  preserve  the  inherited  fel- 
lowships, organizations  and  possessions  from 
the  past  which  are  largely  in  denominational 
organizations;  and  (2)  How  to  re-establish,  in 
the  spirit  of  the  New  Testament,  the  conscious- 
ness of  fellowship  and  unity  which  may  dom- 
inate a single  community. 

The  Federal  Council  and  Federation 

The  Federal  Council  of  the  Churches  of 
Christ  in  America,  organized  in  1908,  ‘ ‘ more 
fully  to  manifest  the  essential  oneness  of  the 
Christian  Churches  of  America,  in  Jesus  Christ 
as  their  Divine  Lord  and  Saviour,  and  to  pro- 
mote the  spirit  of  fellowship,  service  and  co- 
operation among  them,  ’ ’ cannot,  and  does  not, 
advocate  any  form  of  federation  which  is  de- 
structive of,  or  hostile  to,  denominational  life 
and  existence.  It  safeguards  the  autonomy  of 
denominations.  It  defines  its  own  function, 
“not  so  much  to  do  things,  as  to  get  the  de- 
nominational bodies,  and  the  interdenomina- 
tional movements,  to  do  the  work  of  the  churches 
in  cooperation.  ’ ’ It  “ seeks  to  find  the  will 
of  the  constituent  bodies  and  their  departments, 
and  to  interpret  and  expre.ss  it  in  common 
terms.  ’ ’ 

Toward  Local  Federations  the  Federal  Coun- 
cil assumes  no  organic  relation,  and  takes  no 
directive  control.  It  is  ready  to  initiate,  in- 
spire, advise  and  aid  by  bringing  to  bear  upon 


7 


any  local  situation  the  accumulating  experience 
of  other  federative  enterprises.  It  advocates 
no  standard  forms  or  phrases  by  which  federa- 
tions must  be  moulded,  named  or  described.  It 
recognizes  that  the  mere  mechanics  of  feder- 
ation, easy  to  note  and  easy  to  report,  are 
of  the  least  importance, — that  ideals,  atmos- 
phere and  spirit  alone  are  significant. 

Distinct  Types  of  Federation 

The  kinds  of  federations,  and  their  differing 
functions,  must  be  more  clearly  recognized  than 
they  hitherto  have  been.  The  following  dis- 
tinct forms  appear  with  their  varjing  charac- 
teristics:— 

1.  National  Federations.  The  Federal  Coun- 
cil of  the  Churches  of  Christ  in  America  is 
essentially  an  expression  of  the  Protestant 
Evangelical  Church  in  the  geographical  area  of 
the  nation. 

“A  World  conference  on  Faith  and  Order”, 
which  originated  in  the  General  Convention 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  1910. 
seeks  to  bring  all  communions,  Eoman  Catholic, 
Greek  Catholic,  and  Protestant  alike,  into  a 
united  fellowship,  so  as  to  recover  the  unity  of 
original  Christianity.  This  movement  makes 
the  world  its  geograpliical  unit. 

In  different  nations  of  the  world  there  are 
State  Churches.  These,  however,  are  so  named 
because  of  political  relations  rather  than  be- 
cause of  geographical  bounds  and  limits. 

In  America  the  tendency  has  been  to  or- 
ganize religious  bodies,  national  in  extent,  but 
limited  to  special  phases  of  work,  such  as  for 
young  men,  for  young  women,  for  Sunday 
schools,  for  education,  for  home  and  foreign 
missions,  and  for  similar  specialized  interests. 

By  some  of  these  organizations,  especially 
under  the  stress  of  war,  ministries  have  been 
rendered  to  a greater  variety  of  interests  than 
was  proposed,  or  is  involved,  in  the  organi- 
zation and  the  name  it  bears. 

The  Home  Missions  Council,  altho  not  itself 
a missionary  agency,  coordinates  the  home  mis- 


8 


sion  agencies  of  different  denominations  in  the 
field  of  common  interests,  throughout  the  en- 
tire nation  and  in  the  dependencies  of  the 
nation,  such  as  Alaska,  Porto  Rico,  Cuba,  the 
Philippine  Islands,  and  in  part  the  adjacent 
nations  to  the  South. 

2.  A State  Federation.  This  is  not  a com- 
bination of  entire  denominations,  nor  of  local 
churches.  It  is  a federation  of  fragpnents  of 
denominations  organized  as  state  bodies.  Some 
of  these  state  bodies  are  so  related  to  their 
national,  denominational  organizations  as  to  be 
unable  to  enter  into  relations  with  other  bodies, 
unless  the  plan  and  policy  has  the  approval  of 
the  denominational  headquarters.  Others  have 
an  independence  of  their  national  denominations 
which  permits  them,  as  state  organizations,  to 
enter  into  any  alliance  of  their  own  choosing; 
and  yet,  even  in  such  cases,  the  sanction  and 
cooperation  of  the  denominational  leaders,  at 
the  national  headquarters,  are  needful  for  full 
and  satisfactory  expression  of  the  principles  of 
fellowship  and  cooperation  wdthin  the  state; 
for  the  function  of  a state  federation  is  for 
the  most  part  in  the  domain  of  the  larger 
aspects  of  home  missions,  such  as: — 

a.  The  bestowal  of  home  mission  grants 
with  reference  to  the  life  and  activities  of 
churches.  These  grants  not  infrequently  reach 
back  into  the  denominational  home  mission 
treasury,  and  must  be  in  harmony  with  the 
plans  at  headquarters. 

b.  The  assignment  of  pastors,  or  the  ar- 
ranging of  preacliing  circuits,  or  the  support 
of  ministers.  Here  again  national,  denomi- 
national policies  are  involved. 

c.  The  occupation  of  new  territory,  whe- 
ther by  one  denomination  under  agreement, 
or  by  several,  with  due  regard  each  for  the 
other,  or  by  all  in  the  old-fashioned  way  of 
scrambling  for  precedence. 

d.  The  resuscitation  of  waning  churches, 
either  by  adequate  aid  of  men  and  money, 


9 


or  by  combination  and  consolidation  with 
other  churches. 

e.  A ministry  to  certain  classes,  tempo- 
rarily conditioned,  as  in  the  initial  days  of 
constructing  new  industries,  or  in  lumber 
camps,  or  along  sea  coasts,  or  in  the  mines, 
or  for  foreign  speaking  peoples  of  different 
nationalities. 

Sometimes  the  functioning  of  a state  feder- 
ation is  on  the  plane  of  common,  social  or  po- 
litical ends,  in  the  advocacy  of  certain  legis- 
lation, or  as  the  exponent  of  definite  reforms. 

But  however  functioning,  only  a partial  and 
unsatisfactory  career  can  be  expected  of  a state 
federation  which  does  not  embody,  within  its 
utterances  and  its  acts,  the  principles  common 
to  the  denominations  of  whose  state  organiza- 
tions it  is  composed.  As  an  expression  of  the 
common  Christianity  within  the  geographical 
unit  of  the  State,  it  needs  to  manifest  a lateral 
fellowship,  inclusive  of  all  Christians  in  the 
state,  but  also  to  preserve  the  lineal  inheritances 
of  the  different  denominations. 

3.  A City  Federation.  This  is  a combina- 
tion of  local  churches,  within  the  limits  of  a 
municipality.  Not  all  churches  are  independent 
in  their  forms  of  organization  and  government; 
many  can  act  only  in  harmony  with  and  by 
approval  of,  their  national,  ecclesiastical  au- 
thorities. 

A city  federation  will  have  too  large  a pro- 
gram if  it  undertakes  to  remedy  all  the  evils 
incident  to  city  life.  A review  of  the  city 
federations  now  in  existence  reveals  amongst 
them  a great  diversity  of  ob.iects,  and  even 
wider  disparity  of  achievements. 

a.  Some  city  federations  restrict  them- 
selves to  purely  religious  and  churchly  func- 
tions. They  conduct  Go-to-Church  Cam- 
paigns; they  manage  union  revival  services 
and  evangelistic  campaigns;  they  promote 
common  missionary  meetings  and  missionary 
study  classes;  they  district  the  city  into 
parishes,  and  bring  the  responsibility  of  each 


10 


local  church  to  bear  upon  definite  streets, 
and  homes,  and  individuals ; they  counsel 
with  each  other,  and  support  each  other  in 
the  occupation  of  defined  territory,  either  in 
the  developing  suburbs,  or  in  the  congested 
areas. 

b.  Some  city  federations  devote  them- 
selves almost  exclusively  to  the  philanthropic 
and  benevolent  features  of  the  church ’s 
work ; they  maintain  reading-rooms,  homes 
and  shelters  for  different  classes  and  condi- 
tions ; they  inaugurate  playgrounds,  and  su- 
pervise recreation  and  amusement ; they  co- 
ordinate the  charities  and  the  philanthropies 
of  the  city,  supplementing  where  there  is  lack, 
rectifying  and  reforming  where  there  are 
abuses;  they  may  devote  their  attention  al- 
most wholly  to  the  drink  evil,  or  the  social 
evil,  or  the  problems  of  poverty,  or  iniquities 
in  the  treatment  of  labor, — concerning  wages, 
kinds  of  emplo;\Tnent,  hours  and  housing. 

c.  Other  city  federations  give  themselves 
almost  wholly  to  the  political  and  legal  as- 
pects of  communal  life,  with  a view  to  se- 
curing the  enforcement  of  law,  the  discovery 
and  prevention  of  corrupt  practices,  and  the 
passage  of  needed  ordinances. 

It  may  bo  that  in  the  larger  cities  denomina- 
tional interests  in  the  broader,  national  sense 
are  infrequently  involved,  save  in  those  mat- 
ters which  relate  to  the  assignment  of  respon- 
sible territory,  and  the  establishment  and  main- 
tenance of  mis.sion  enterprises.  Nevertheless, 
the  interests  and  the  obligations  of  denomina- 
tions may  at  any  moment  arise,  indirectly,  if 
not  directly,  and  in  unanticipated  ways,  and 
they  must  not  be  overlooked  or  overridden. 

4.  Local  Federations  or  Community  Chur- 
ches. Federations  within  villages  and  towns 
are  usually  wholly  ecclesiastical,  that  is,  they 
are  concerned  with  the  combination  of  chur- 
ches, or  the  realignment  of  churches.  The  fol- 
lowing types  of  community  churches  are  clear- 
ly recognizable. 


11 


a.  The  Denominational  Church  may  be  a 
community  church,  for  it  may  receive  into 
its  membership  all  Chrisians  of  every  name 
and  faith,  and  may  serve  all  of  the  inter- 
ests of  the  community’s  life  and  welfare. 

b.  Two  or  more  churches,  each  preserving 
its  distinctive  organizations  and  affiliation 
with  its  own  denominational  organizations, 
may  unite  in  common,  local  church  functions, 
under  the  ministrations  of  one  pastor,  and 
be,  for  purposes  of  worship  and  community 
service,  a single  congregation. 

c.  A single  society  may  be  organized, 
called  a church  or  otherwise,  which  receives 
to  its  membership  members  of  many  churches, 
without  requiring  them  to  sever  existing  re- 
lationships, and,  in  that  community,  per- 
forms, all  the  functions  of  a local  church, 
when,  in  fact,  it  is  an  organized  body  of 
individuals  who  are  members  of  other 
churches. 

d.  A church  may  be  formed  as  the  only 
church  home  of  all  its  members,  into  which 
may  come  every  variety  of  faith  and  expe- 
rience, with  no  obligations  to  any  other  ec- 
clesiastical organization. 

These  four  types  of  community  church  have 
been  called  (a)  the  Denominational  Church, 
(b)  the  Multi-Denominational  Church,  or  dis- 
tinctively, the  Federated  Church,  (c)  the  In- 
terdenominational Church,  or  the  church  of 
Federated  Christians,  and  (d)  the  Undenomi- 
national Church,  or  “Union  Church,”  long  so- 
called. 


The  Community  Church  Tested 

1.  The  Union  Church  has  been  tried  and 
tested  for  many  years.  It  seems  in  many  in- 
stances the  easiest  to  form,  and  undoubtedly  it 
should  be  formed,  provided  it  be  the  only  t5q>e 
possible  within  the  community.  But  it  is  not 
ideal ; its  deficiencies  are  too  numerous.  It 
lacks  associational  fellowship ; it  lacks  out- 
side supervision,  from  Bishop,  Superinten- 


12 


dent,  Secretary,  or  other  denominational 
leader;  when  without  a pastor,  it  can 
turn  to  neither  an  adequate  nor  ap- 
proved source  of  supply;  it  has  no  approved 
literature,  and  helps  create  none.  It  is  con- 
nected with  religious  education  in  no  respon- 
sible way;  it  is  not  large  enough  to  maintain 
home  mission,  or  foreign  mission,  enterprises  of 
its  own,  and  without  denominational  connec- 
tion, has  either  no  alliance,  or  the  uncertain 
alliance  of  ‘ ‘ free-lance  ’ ’ missionary  move- 
ments, and,  if  deprived  of  the  world  vision,  it 
is  impoverished  in  its  Christian  ideals ; fre- 
quently it  lacks  an  adequate  system  of  truth; 
denominational  churches  may  be  deficient  in 
this  respect,  but  the  Union  Church  necessarily 
fails  of  it;  and  experience  has  proven  that  un- 
happily the  I^nion  Church,  with  its  serious  de- 
fects, has  become  socially  not  a place  of 
tmity,  but  oftentimes  of  discord  and  dissention. 

When  the  effort  is  made,  as  sometimes  it 
has  been,  to  supply  associational  fellowship, 
outside  supervision  and  the  other  benefits  which 
inhere  in  denominational  churches,  then  arises 
a tendency  to  create  a new  denomination,  the 
genius  and  characteristics  of  which  are  creedless- 
ness,  purely  local  service,  the  severance  of  his- 
toric ties  and  lineal  descent,  and  thereby  the 
repetition  of  the  schism  of  Protestantism, 
against  which  the  Union  Church  itself  stands  in 
protest.  A state  organization  of  Union  Church- 
es. or  a national  organization  of  Union  Chiirch- 
es,  would  be  equivalent  to  the  creation  of  a 
new  denomination. 

2.  The  Interdenominational  Church,  or  the 
Church  of  Federated  Christians,  is  adapted  to 
communities  in  which  residence  is  transient.  In 
Christ obal,  the  Canal  Zone,  such  a church  has 
been  for  several  years  useful.  Such  a church 
has  been  tried  in  several  European  cities,  under 
similar  conditions,  where  Christians  from  many 
churches  in  the  United  States  come  and  find 
membership  during  a period  of  studv,  or  other 
pursuits,  without  severing  membership  in  the 
churches  of  the  home  land.  Such  an  organiza- 


13 


tion  may  be  useful  in  many  communities  in 
which  there  are  people  who,  for  a variety  of 
considerations,  desire  to  retain  connection  with 
the  home  church  in  distant  places,  and  yet  en- 
ter into  the  fellowship  of  a local  body  for  the 
purposes  of  worship  and  local  service.  This 
is  essentially  the  ‘ ‘ Liberty  Church  ’ ’ which, 
during  the  war,  was  organized  by  the  Joint 
Committee  on  War  Production  Communities  in 
new  industrial  centers.  Eeasons  which  jus- 
tify this  type  may  be  stated  as  follows: — 

a.  A brief  period  of  residence. 

b.  Convictions  and  customs  too  positive 
and  too  sacred  to  permit  severance  from 
the  church  of  early  choice,  which  adequately 
embodies  these  preferences  and  beliefs. 

c.  Lack  of  time  for  the  development  of 
appreciation  and  sjunpathy  for  new  forms 
unto  which  soul-commitment  would  be  neces- 
sary in  case  of  entire  transference  to  a new 
church  body,  or  into  a new  group  of  eccle- 
siastical associations. 

It  is  altogether  likely  that  regular  denomina- 
tional churches  would  be  wise  to  receive  into 
their  membership,  as  ‘ ‘ associate  members,  ’ ’ or 
otherwise,  pei'sons  who  could  not  see  the  way 
quite  clear  to  sever,  all  at  once,  connection  with 
home  churches.  While  this  practice  would 
materially  swell  the  list  of  non-resident  mem- 
bers, a list  already  far  too  large,  yet  it  would 
have  a double  advantage.  (1)  It  would  permit 
a kind  of  trial  membership,  in  which  acquain- 
tance and  fellowship  might  have  time  to  ripen ; 
and  (2)  in  small  communities  it  would  enable  the 
denominational  church  readily  to  make  trial  of 
that  breadth  of  fellowship  and  inclusiveness 
w'hich  would  fit  it  the  better  to  serve  as  a 
Community  Church. 

3.  The  Federated  Church,  or  the  Multi-Deno- 
minational Church,  has  been  proven  well 
adapted  to  many  communities  all  across  the 
continent,  in  increasingly  numerous  instances. 
This  is  a union  of  two  or  more  ec- 
clesiastical organizations  under  one  pastor, 

14 


usually  in  one  meeting-house,  as  one  congrega- 
tion, with  common  local  functions,  but  with 
separate  denominational  associations  and  alle- 
giances. The  following  variations  and  charac- 
teristics appear: — 

a.  It  is  a form  of  federation,  when  one 
pastor  serves  two  or  more  churches  in  the 
same,  or  adjacent,  communities.  The  prin- 
ciple of  federation  is  the  more  marked  when 
the  churches  are  of  different  denominations. 

b.  In  some  communities  the  congrega- 
tions of  different  churches  unite  in  the  sup- 
port of  one  pastor,  and  combine  as  one  con- 
gregation meeting  in  rotation  in  the  different 
meeting-houses.  The  period  of  rotation  may 
be  week  by  week,  month  by  month,  quarter 
by  quarter,  or,  in  some  eases,  determined  by 
the  condition  of  the  church  property  or  the 
ease  of  heating,  the  winter  season  over 
against  the  summer  season,  moving  from 
meeting-house  to  meeting-house  as  the  sea- 
sons change. 

c.  In  some  instances  all  services  are  held 
in  one  meeting-house  and  the  other  house,  or 
the  other  meeting-houses  are  sold,  or  are 
used  for  parish  purposes.  In  one  communi- 
ty an  unused  meeting-house  was  given  over 
to  work  for  young  people,  and  soon  a Young 
Men’s  Christian  Association,  not  previously 
existing  in  the  town,  was  organized  and  domi- 
ciled in  the  unused  house  of  worship. 

d.  When  jiropcrty  is  sold  or  transferred, 
the  federation  takes  some  permanent  form, 
for  the  sale  or  transfer  of  titles  usually  in- 
volves stops  which  cannot  be  retraced.  Ei- 
ther the  denominational  churches,  one  or 
more,  legally  organized,  hold  the  property, 
or  the  federation  itself,  properly  organized, 
may  become  incorporated  under  the  laws  of 
the  state,  as  owner  of,  or  custodian  of,  the 
property. 

e.  Associational  relationships  are  kept  up, 
each  cnurch  with  its  own  higher  body, 
through  delegated  representation,  regular 


15 


statistical  reports,  and  regular  contributions 
for  denominational  benevolences;  for  each 
church  retains  its  own  distinct  organization, 
holds  its  own  annual  and  other  stated  meet- 
ings for  ecclesiastical  and  legal  purposes. 

f.  Statistical  returns  are  equitably  ad- 
justed, either  by  dividing  total  attendances 
by  the  number  of  churches  federated,  or  by 
the  continued  ratios  of  the  numbers  attend- 
ing before  federation  took  place,  or  by  an 
actual  poll  of  the  individuals,  with  an  expres- 
sion of  denominational  preference.  Of 
course  membership  returns  are  simple  be- 
cause of  official  action  in  the  enrollment  of 
members. 

g.  In  the  accession  of  new  members  cour- 
tesy and  comity  must  prevail.  There  have 
been  instances  in  which  new  members  were 
received  into  the  federation,  and  not  into 
either  of  the  separate  churches  of  which  the 
federation  was  composed.  This,  however,  is 
a practice  not  to  be  commended,  for  such 
a federation  tends  to  become  an  entirely  new 
ecclesiastical  organization;  and  thereby  mul- 
tiplies the  competing  church  bodies,  which  it 
was  designed  to  reduce  in  number.  The  kind- 
ly spirit  of  Christian  consideration  usually 
discovers  the  proper  way  for  adjusting  mem- 
bership on  the  basis  either  of  preference, 
family  ties,  or  acquaintance  and  alliance. 

h.  Benevolences  for  the  separate  denomi- 
national treasuries  may  be  apportioned  by 
designation  of  the  individual  donors,  or  in 
accordance  with  a percentage  of  distribution 
agreed  upon,  or  by  being  taken  upon  differ- 
ent days,  or  at  different  times  in  the  same 
service,  or  by  being  placed  in  separate  recep- 
tacles,— envelopes,  baskets,  or  boxes,  denomi- 
nationallv  inscribed.  The  spirit  of  fraterni- 
ty usuallv  discovers  the  most  acceptable 
method,  best  adapted  to  local  conditions. 
That  such  contributions  be  kept  up  is  most 
important,  for  otherwise,  in  the  federation, 
individual  members  will  lose  the  sense  of 


16 


obligation,  and  consequently  the  sacrificial 
fellowship  in  the  mind  of  Christ,  which 
makes  the  church  of  Christ  a messenger  of 
the  Gospel  ‘ ‘ to  every  creature,  ’ ’ will  disap- 
pear. 

4.  The  Denominational  Church  is  the  best 
type  of  community  church,  when  it  can  receive 
into  its  membership  all  the  Christians  of  the 
community.  The  federation  of  Christians  in 
their  own  hearts  has  no  superior  form. 

a.  The  denominational  church  is  best,  be- 
cause it  preserves,  as  no  other  can,  the  in- 
heritances of  the  past,  and  is  allied,  as  no 
new  organization  can  be,  with  the  agencies 
for  all  the  varied  and  far-reaching  ministra- 
tions of  the  church,  in  this  and  other  lands. 

b.  A denominational  church  is  more  te- 
nacious of  life  than  any  other  kind.  Be- 
cause its  roots  reach  into  the  past,  because 
it  bears  a name  which  others  in  other 
places  know  and  cherish,  because  its 
absent  members,  in  other  churches  of  the 
same  name,  can  retain  connection  with  it 
through  denominational  associations,  because 
of  oversight  and  supervision,  and  fellowship 
and  inspiration,  from  denominational  agents 
and  agencies,  it  has  helps  and  encouragement 
for  life  and  development  which  no  other  en- 
joys. 

c.  In  many  cases  members  of  different  de 
nominations  have  willingly  enrolled  them- 
selves under  the  standard  of  one  denomina- 
tion, for  the  sake  of  uniting  all  Christians 
in  a small  community  for  common  tasks  and 
common  worship.  This,  if  a sacrifice,  is  the 
sacrificial  spirit  which  has  great  reward. 
Doubtless  one  of  the  greatest  needs  to-day 
is  that  individual  Christians  should  forego 
many  of  their  personal  preferences,  for  the 
sake  of  that  unity  which  will  strengthen  the 
testimony  and  the  service  of  the  Christian 
church. 

d.  Many  denominational  churches,  situ- 
ated in  the  small  community,  awakening  to 


17 


the  sense  of  responsibility  to  the  community, 
in  which  not  more  than  one  church  can  proper- 
ly, flourish,  have  reconstructed  themselves,  vol- 
untarily, both  as  regards  spirit,  and  as  re- 
gards forms,  in  order  to  make  themselves  a 
church  home  for  every  individual  Christian 
in  the  community,  and  in  order  to  make 
themselves  an  effective  instrument  for  the 
welfare  of  all  within  the  communit}’. 

Reciprocal  Exchanges 

In  some  states  denominations,  for  the  sake  of 
establishing  single  denominational  churches 
within  small  communities,  have  entered  into  an 
agreement  to  exchange  partial  interests  in  cer- 
tain communities,  for  the  sake  of  acquiring  ex- 
clusive interests  in  certain  other  communities. 
Under  this  agreement  denomination  “ A ” sur- 
renders to  denomination  “ B ” in  town  “ X ” 
all  its  church  interests,  and  denomination  “B” 
surrenders  to  denomination  “A”  all  its  church 
interest  in  town  “Y”,  so  that,  in  consequence 
of  this  reciprocal  exchange,  denomination  “ A ” 
has  the  entire  field  in  Town  “ Y ”,  and  de- 
nomination ”B”  has  the  entire  field  in  town 
‘‘X”;  and  from  that  time  on  town  “Y” 
and  town  ‘ ‘ X ” each  have  a single  denomina 
tional  church,  which  then  undertakes  to  serve 
the  community  as  a Community  Church. 

This  plan  of  reciprocal  exchanges,  first  pro 
posed  in  the  State  of  Maine  in  1905,  and  con- 
spicuously approved  in  the  State  of  Utah  in 
1915,  has  received  many  trials,  and  is  coming 
now  into  much  more  clearly  recognized  and  com- 
mon use. 

This  principle  of  ‘‘give  and  take”  esta- 
blishes a sense  of  fair  play,  of  equitv  and 
justice,  which  makes  the  task  easier  for  all 
concerned.  Those  who  suirender,  do  so  the 
more  readily,  when  they  realize  that  by  their 
sacrifices  members  of  their  own  order  gain  an 
equal  advantage  in  some  other  community. 
Benominational  leaders  and  agents  more  readi- 
Iv  yield  advantage  at  one  point,  when  they  un- 
derstand that  they  acquire  advantage  at  another 


18 


point;  and  that  denominational  statistics  will 
receive  compensations  in  gains  to  offset  the 
losses. 


Common  Social  Functions 

The  element  of  justice  in  reciprocal  exchanges 
is  not  overlooked,  for  all  churches,  of  what- 
ever denomination,  have  certain  common  func- 
tions within  a community. 

1.  The  local  church  is  a social  center  for 
acquaintance  and  friendship,  where  the  human 
touch  prevails. 

2.  The  local  church,  however  small,  is  never- 
the-less  a great  educational  institution,  in 
which  the  proclamation  of  truth,  the  explana- 
tion of  the  principles  of  life,  and  the  inculca- 
tion of  personal  duties  are  constant  themes. 

3.  The  local  church,  however  meagerly 
equipped  it  may  be,  is  yet  a place  of  wor- 
ship, where  the  deepest  and  most  profund  emo- 
tions are  stirred,  in  the  sense  of  awe,  and  in 
expressions  of  adoration  and  praise. 

4.  The  local  church  is  a means  of  ministry 
and  service  unto  the  community, — the  combi- 
nation of  Christians  in  united  good  will  and 
good  deeds. 

Practical  Steps  Toward  Community  Interests 

Each  movement  must  fit  its  own  area.  Mere 
imitation  entails  failure.  Community  churches 
cannot  be  imported  ready-made.  They  cannot 
be  imposed  from  without;  they  must  grow  up 
from  within. 

1.  The  initiative  may  begin  with  an  indivi- 
dual, who  invites  others  to  a conference,  or  who 
proposes  in  his  denominational  gathering  that 
a committee  be  appointed  to  confer  with  repre- 
sentatives of  other  denominations,  invited  there- 
to. 

2.  Several  conferences  may  be  needful.  In 
them  may  be  determined  the  wide  sweep  of 
the  movement  or  its  self-imposed  limits,  its 


19 


personnel,  its  constituent  membership,  and,  in 
general,  the  main  objects  to  be  attained. 

3.  The  official  endorsement  of  the  bodies 
concerned  must  usually  be  secured.  A federa- 
tion in  a large  area  is  not  the  voluntary  organ- 
ization of  individuals  acting  upon  their  own 
responsibility,  but  a respresentative  body  com- 
posed of  delegates  appointed  by  churches,  de- 
nominational organizations,  or  their  duly  au- 
thorized officers. 

4.  So  many  objects  are  desirable,  so  many 
good  achievements  seem  possible,  when  Chris- 
tians are  united,  that  the  danger  constantly 
confronting  a newly  formed  organization  is 
to  lay  out  a too  extensive  program,  and  un- 
dertake to  accomplish  all  at  once  too  many 
worthy  tasks.  Parsimony  in  aims  should  be 
practiced,  else  disappointment  and  discourage- 
ment soon  ensue. 

5.  The  question  of  expense  at  once  arises. 
The  entire  time  of  a special  representative  ap- 
pears desirable.  Central  offices,  with  suitable 
equipment,  and  an  office  staff ; printed  liter- 
ature in  great  variety;  classes  and  lectures, 
and  other  means  of  awakening  and  guiding 
public  sentiment,  all  of  which  involve  expense, 
occur  as  needful.  But  desirability  and  need 
are  not  the  only  considerations.  The  resources 
of  a federation  must  not  be  too  heavily  taxed, 
lest  they  be  drained.  The  history  of  federa- 
tions shows  failures  and  wrecks  due  to  an  ex- 
cessive burden  of  expense.  Federations  should 
seldom  incur  expense  for  work  which  other  or- 
ganizations are  doing,  or  may  do. 

6.  To  home  mission  treasuries  state  federa- 
tions should  save  expense  by  reducing  need- 
less competition  and  wasteful  appropriations. 
In  local  communities,  served  by  Community 
Churches,  the  principle  of  federation  is  eco- 
nomical, for  it  eliminates  duplication  of  ef- 
fort, concentrates  congregations,  and  saves 
wasteful  rivalry.  The  economies  of  federation, 
however,  are  not  its  highest  justification;  but 
the  spiritual  ends,  which  are  attained  through 
efficiency,  inspiration,  and  power. 


20 


Some  Local  Adjustments 

Within  a local  community  in  the  formation 
of  a Community  Church,  the  questions  most 
frequently  occasioning  pause,  and  even  occur- 
ring as  obstacles,  relate  to  the  place,  the  name 
and  the  man. 

1.  The  place.  Custom  and  habit,  records  of 
spiritual  conquests  within  the  sub-conscious  self, 
hold  men  tenaciously  to  fixed  places,  and  even 
to  definite  attitudes  and  postures.  Many  a 
saint  finds  it  dififtcult  to  worship  at  all  in  a 
strange  place.  The  very  pew,  and  the  end  of 
the  seat,  after  a while  seem  sacred.  It  is  not 
easy  to  change  and  resort  to  an  unaccustomed 
place  of  prayer. 

2.  The  name.  To  many  people  names  are 
more  than  symbols.  Not  only  are  inheritances 
and  associations  represented  by  the  name,  but 
also  creeds  and  convictions;  and,  consequently, 
a change  of  name  often  seems  to  be  the  un- 
settlement of  faith. 

3.  The  man.  Most  of  our  religious  expe- 
riences are  associated  with  others.  Mother, 
Sunday  School  teacher,  and  pastor,  have 
brought  to  us  counsel  and  guidance  in  moments 
of  spiritual  need;  and  have  pointed  out  paths, 
and  held  aloft  ideals,  which  have  claimed  our 
deepest  consecration.  The  faithful  pastor  of 
a Christian  church  stands  in  peculiar  relations 
to  all  its  members.  No  easy  thing  is  it  to  re- 
linquish his  leadership,  and  turn  to  the  care  of 
a stranger. 

In  the  adjustment  of  local  church  relations, 
looking  toward  the  formation  of  a single  com- 
munity church,  these  three  considerations,  more 
often  than  any  others,  arise  to  block  progress. 
Questions  of  creed  are  seldom  as  important  as 
are  these: — Where  shall  we  worship?  What 
shall  be  our  name?  Who  shall  be  pastor?  Usu- 
ally the  church  which  makes  concession  as  to 
place  reasonably  expects  a reciprocal  conces- 
sion in  regard  to  the  name,  or  the  selection  of 
a pastor.  A middle  ground,  frequently  accept- 
able, in  the  case  of  two  churches,  is  for  one  to 


21 


yield  its  place  of  worship,  the  other  to  make 
the  greatest  concessions  respecting  the  new 
name,  and  for  them  both,  letting  former  pas- 
tors retire,  to  unite  in  calling  a new  pastor. 

Sometimes  the  agreement  is  made  to  alter- 
nate under  the  pastoral  care  of  ministers  of 
the  different  denominations,  each  for  a fixed 
period  of  service, — one  year,  or  more,  as  agreed 
upon.  This  plan  has  the  disadvantages  of 
keeping  an  unsatisfactory  man  too  long,  and 
of  arbitrarily  dismissing  a good  man  too  soon. 
In  some  cases  a pastor  is  sought  from  a de- 
nomination not  represented  in  the  federation, 
so  that  all  the  members  of  the  cooperating 
churches  shall  be  equally  related  to  the  new 
pastor.  But  all  these  adjustments  of  details 
must  be  determined  by  each  community  with 
due  regard  to  its  own  conditions  and  peculiari- 
ties. Where  the  spirit  of  charity  and  courtesy 
most  largely  prevails  there  the  adjustment 
will  be  easiest  and  most  harmonious. 

Acquaintance  and  Experimentation 

In  many  communities,  in  which  the  form  of 
procedure  is  not  immediately  plain,  it  is  often 
desirable  to  hold  union  services,  either  of  the 
mid-week  meeting  or  of  the  Sunday  evening 
meeting,  or  even  of  the  Sunday  morning  ser- 
vice,— union  services  for  a period  of  time,  pos- 
sibly the  winter  through,  or  for  a single  month, 
or  for  three  months.  Such  union  services  may 
be  regarded  purely  as  an  experiment,  with  no 
defininte  commitment  on  the  part  of  any  cliurch, 
or  any  individual. 

The  experiment  may  go  farther  and  take  the 
character  of  an  agreement  to  hold  all  Sunday 
services  in  one  meeting-house,  and  all  week  day 
services  in  another  house,  for  a month,  three 
months,  or  even  a year,  with  the  distinct  un- 
derstanding that,  if  the  plan  is  not  agreeable, 
at  the  end  of  the  period,  each  church  may 
resume  its  former  separate  activities,  without 
disturbing  good  will  and  mutual  esteem.  In- 
deed the  experiment  may  do  more,  or  less,  than 
indicated,  exactly  as  local  conditions  may  war- 


22 


rant.  Whatever  promotes  acqaintance,  respect 
and  good  will  among  Christians,  and  an  earnest 
consideration  of  the  problems  of  social  welfare 
in  the  community,  will  bring  Christians  into 
closer  cooperation,  and  will  the  better  enable 
them  to  extend  the  borders  of  the  Master’s 
Kingdom. 


The  Scope  of  Consultation 

Local  Federations  have  failed  oftentimes, 
even  to  obtain  a good  beginning,  for  one  of 
these  reasons: — (1)  Too  great  haste.  En- 
thusiastic advocates  of  federation  may  push 
the  project  too  fast,  so  that  time  has  not  been 
allowed  for  everyone,  particularly  those  who 
move  slowly,  to  think  out  and  understand  the 
project  from  all  sides,  its  disadvantages,  as 
well  as  its  advantages  (2)  Selfishness  and 
lack  of  fairness.  Sometimes  it  has  happened, 
imder  the  cloak  of  forming  a federation,  that 
one  church,  or  some  person,  undertakes,  by  a 
clever  trick,  to  gain  denominational  or  per- 
sonal advantage.  Such  a spirit,  if  even  once 
suspected,  vitiates  and  nullifies  the  whole  move- 
ment. (3)  Outside  parties.  Sometimes  for- 
mer residents,  who  do  not  now  know  present 
conditions,  interject  irrelevant  and  disturbing 
considerations.  Sometimes  denominational  agents 
mindful  of  denominational  claims,  resist  and 
bring  to  naught  a movement,  which  has  not 
duly  recognized  their  rights. 

It  is  wise  to  take  time;  it  is  wise  to  con- 
sult outside  parties  who  may  be  interested;  it 
is  particularly  wise  to  consult  with  denomina- 
tional agents,  when  planning  for  a community 
church.  If  they  are  not  consulted  early,  and 
if  they  do  not  approve  it,  the  plan,  which  may 
have  been  agreed  upon  within  the  community 
itself,  may  be  upset  by  their  influence  and  con- 
trol, and  rightly  too.  The  approval  of  Super- 
intendent, or  ^cretary,  or  Home  Missionary, 
having  jurisdiction,  is  essential  because  it  is 
desirable  to  retain  all  of  the  denominational 
ties,  in  order  to  keep  the  Christians  of  the 
community  true  to  their  honest  ecclesiastical 


23 


obligations,  and  vitally  cooperating  with  all 
of  the  great  missionary  enterprises  of  their 
denominations.  It  is  well  to  take  time  for  all 
of  these  conferences  and  consultations.  It  is 
better  to  confer  first,  than  afterward ; and 
it  is  better  to  have  no  federation  at  all  than 
to  have  one  which  fails  of  its  purpose,  re- 
sulting in  discord  and  discontent,  rather  than 
harmony  and  good  will. 

The  Great  Desideratum 

The  great  desideratum  indeed  the  only  wor- 
thy motive  for  the  formation  of  federations, 
is  to  promote  spiritual  life,  to  spread  the  King- 
dom of  Christ,  and  to  make  manifest  its  real- 
ization among  men,  and  in  all  human  relations. 
The  task  of  promoting  federations  is  larger 
than  simply  winning  consent  to  a formulated 
program,  however  ideal.  No  standardized 
names  or  forms  are  needful.  Ideals  and 
finished  products,  of  inestimable  value  as 
visions  and  aims,  are  nevertheless,  for  prac- 
tical and  permanent  results,  not  so  important 
as  may  be  some  crude,  and  but  partially  or- 
ganized federation,  which  fits  its  community, 
enlists  the  support  of  the  people,  and  grows 
up  out  of  a conscious  recognition  of  local  needs 
and  possibilities,  accompanied  with  the  conse- 
crated determination  to  serve  God  and  man 
well  in  that  locality. 


24 


